my baby bear, parks james, turned one month on monday, february 15. in honor of the newborn stage, i am sharing my favorites for baby + mom today. there are so many baby items and everyone has their own preferences; however, i thought i would share the ones that we loved most.

ryan and rose pacifier clips: i found this brand on instagram and love their beautiful options! i feel like we could not live without a clip at this point {we have and it's constant picking up the bink off the floor!} these are perfect.

blankets & beyond swaddles: parks fell in love with these almost immediately. they are warm, soft, and keep his little hands in so well. we received one as a gift and then i purchased two {they are very reasonable - around $12.99 at marshall's/home goods/amazon}

the lawn: this drying rack is a must for bottles, nipples, and pacifiers!

mama roo by 4moms: the mama roo is fantastic! it moves, sways, makes sounds and doesn't take up a lot of space in a room. there are a lot of options for baby and they can all be controlled through an app on your phone! {gone are the days of running over to the swing to crank it!}

solly baby wrap: it's no secret this week that i am in love with our solly baby wrap! i can't recommend it enough. it is so easy to put on and baby boy loves it so much. i have worn him every day since sunday. i feel like i can get so much done around the house and it was a life-saver at the doctor's office. {the carseat is so heavy- esp. with my incision}

natursutten pacifier: we tried a few different pacifiers but this is by far his favorite! it's designed to be as natural as possible/good for breastfed babies

bear suit: there are a lot of shops that sell these. my mom and i found parks' over thanksgiving at kohl's and he loves it! it's the perfect warm/cozy suit for a winter babe. plus, people can't get enough of it when we go out- it's just so cute.

rock n' play: parks loves to take naps in the rock n' play {our pediatrician does not recommend that babies sleep in it overnight- i am so glad i asked because i had no idea!} he loves how it is contoured {again super comforting and cozy for him} and it plays music/rocks at different levels.

boudreaux's butt paste: this paste is wonderful! it seemed to clear things up so much faster than other brands

milk snob carseat cover: my sister gave us this cover and we love it! it's super adorable and he loves having it over him. the black and white is designed to help with eye coordination and helps to stimulate brain function. we are so grateful that he loves his carseat and traveling so far.

zutano booties: we received these from rachel of little blue sailboat and they are fabulous! they are super cute, warm, and don't fall off! the perfect bootie for a winter baby

bathtub by 4moms: this tub rocks!! i researched so many and am so glad that we chose this one! it allows clean water in/dirty water out and has a sensor for the temperature {green is good and red is too hot} ideal for first time parents like us!

milkmaid goods: their nursing ponchos come in gorgeous patterns and can be used as a nursing cover, carseat cover, cart cover, and scarf. they also sell cute swaddle sets- so reasonable and again, love the prints!

lululemon backpack: we have a diaper bag/some totes i love to use for baby items, but found pretty early on that a backpack is the way to go! i found one on sale at lululemon and it's been amazing. {esp. for places like the mall where you are walking around and not in one place} the one i found has so many awesome compartments and even a wet bag for diapers

camelbak water bottle: like i have mentioned before, i loved having this in the hospital and have loved it after as well. i am trying to get in as much water as possible and this has been the best way! {esp. when both hands are full}

ugg slippers: i received these for christmas and have literally lived in them! definitely my favorite slippers ever- ideal for these chilly months at home with baby boy

trader joe's coconut oil: i was a big believer before and am now more than ever! it works for almost anything- esp. for nursing. i have tried a few other products and this has been the best!

healthy sleep habits, happy child: several friends recommended this book and i think it's my favorite so far! i will hopefully do a post soon with more detail but am loving it so far.

nursing tanks: old navy and gap both have some great ones {for reasonable prices} but you are going to want to purchase several before baby comes

fresh flowers: mr. monaco has brought home a few bouquets {along with some generous friends} and they have helped cheer up the rooms in our home - along with burning candles. so soothing

lavender: speaking of soothing, lavender oil is my go-to! i used it during labor and have used it almost every night since. my parents also bought me some l'occitane lavender shower gel, bath salts, lotion, and a candle-which have all been so wonderful as well {such a great gift to send to a new mom!}

Friday, February 19, 2016

54 comments:

Oh the winter blues I do struggle with. However tomorrow through Sunday we are to have high temperatures in the 70's and sunshine so outside we go and that will certainly help with the winter blues that are so real. Thanks so much.

Thank you so much for this list! We just registered last weekend and now I think I have some revisions to make! :) I would love to win your giveaway so I can start babywearing in May when my baby arrives.

I think I need to get a Solly Wrap for baby girl. I had a Moby Wrap with Max and used it once and didn't care for it; it was so thick (too hot for a summer babe and an always hot mama!) and difficult to put on. I googled "solly vs. moby wrap" the other day and one blogger loves the Solly more due to its lightweight nature. I also scored a Baby Bjorn at Once Upon a Child, still in the box, unused, for $40, and I used that a lot when Max was a bit bigger, but I wasn't a huge fan of that one either. It got pretty uncomfortable after a while with such a chunk of a babe...Max was in the 95th percentile for most of his first year for weight and height! And I'm so glad you love the Zutano booties! I've already stored Max's old ones in baby girl's bins, and I have plans to get more girly ones once she arrives! Have a great weekend love!

try to enjoy the process and not stress {I know it's hard! but remember you can return almost anything!} I have more to add now that he's almost 12 weeks. hoping to post soon! praying for a healthy pregnancy for you- still SO EXCITED!!! xo ps: i love iced caramel macchiatos

I really love my co-sleeper. It's perfect for a newborn. I can watch my baby sleep as I fall asleep and don't need to get out of the bed to feed or change the baby. I have everything right there with me.

My favorite item ever for baby is the zippadeezip. It was on Shark Tank so I ordered one and it was a game changer!! Once my son started busting out of his swaddles and sleepsacks he went to this and started sleeping through the night. Can't say enough good things about these!! Also, to beat the winter blues I take vitamin D which seems to help a bit.

We had to invest in some velcro swaddles--they are the only thing she stays in...also baby girl loves to be warm so we also had to get an infant heater for her room (it has a sensor that attaches to her crib to regulate the temp!)

I love Cuski swandoodles! They are amazingly soft, the huge size is great to continue swaddling long past other brands, large enough to be a toddler and preschooler blanket well past other brands... I just can't say enough good things. They are now my go-to baby gift!